Poe bats for creation of Center for Disease Control to protect Philippines from pandemics

The Philippines should have its own Center for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent other outbreaks similar to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Senator Grace Poe said on Wednesday.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, the senator said she envisions it as an attached agency of the Department of Health, which shall focus on relentless research that would protect and equip the country from contagions.

"Ito 'yung mabilis na nakakahawa na mga either disease nga, virus na kailangan ay masugpo agad o kaya mapigil bago pa ito mangyari. 'Yun talaga ang magiging mandato nito," Poe said.

She said it should be headed by an experienced epidemiologist who would have direct channels of communication with the Executive Secretary and the President for faster crafting of policy directions when possible occurrence of pandemics are projected.

Under the proposed body, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and existing disease prevention and control bureau, epidemiology bureau, health emergency management bureau, and bureau of quarantine shall join forces, according to Poe.

Moreover, the lawmaker said that having a local CDC would help make the country self-reliant in issuing directives and health policies in times of pandemics.

"Pag may bagong ganito (outbreak) importante 'yung patuloy na pagsasaliksik at hindi ka pwedeng umasa sa iisang ahensya lamang sa ibang bansa. Kailangang mayroon kang mahabang pag-aaral at kasanayan dito," she said.

Poe pointed out that the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago also filed the "Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness" bill in 2013 during the time of the MERS-CoV outbreak and that the measure could still be useful now.

She further said that higher budget allocations for the RITM can be expected in the coming years because of the COVID-19 experience of the country.

As of April 29, the Philippines recorded a total of 7,958 cases of COVID-19, with 530 deaths and 975 recoveries. --KBK, GMA News